A Special Project
by Citywriter84
Summary: What if Hagrid fooled Hermione into mating with a unicorn stallion and carrying the foal? There will eventually be slow blooming Harry and Hermione romance, but before that there is Krum's interest in Hermione - and Hermione becoming the mother of a creature. Dark Ron and indifferent Dumbledore. Harmony shippers, Bronies and Pegasisters all welcome! Please R@R but no bashing.
1. Chapter 1

**A Project Conceived**

At dawn, Hermione awoke in the hospital wing before Ron and Harry and hurried down to Hagrid's cabin to congratulate him on the escape of Buckbeak. There could be no doubt that Hagrid would be relieved that his hippogriff had escaped. And what a glorious day it would be! She and Harry had saved more than one innocent life from cruel injustice. Both Buckbeak and Sirius who had escaped together.

It was the beginning of a beautiful summer day, but the sun was barely up and it was quite cool. There was a pearly mist hanging over the great lake as Hermione hurried down towards Hagrid's cabin.

"Mornin' Hermione," said Hagrid, "Have yer heard? Beaky's escaped. I've been celebratin' all night."

"That's wonderful Hagrid," said Hermione with a smile.

"Yeah, can' have tied him up properly," said Hagrid. "Now how would you like to visit Lavender and Parvati with me? They've done ruddy brillian' on their special project."

"Special project?" Hermione was indignant. Had Hagrid been teaching Lavender and Parvati about proper creatures instead of wasting their time on flobberworms?

"They're in the secret cabin," said Hagrid, leading Hermione to a narrow path into the Forbidden Forest. The path was very narrow. The overhanging branches kept catching at Hermione's hair and thorns tore at her robes. She had to run to keep pace with Hagrid. Eventually they came to a log cabin some way into the forest and she followed Hagrid inside.

"Ooh!" Hermione gasped as with a giddy unreal feeling she saw Lavender and Parvati.

They were stark naked and lying on two white beds and cuddling what looked like creatures that were somewhere between human babies and tiny foals. The little creatures definitely had the bodies of little foals, legs sprawled higgledy-piggledy on the beds, but they also had round heads, with faces that were almost human-like, with large eyes and snubbed little noses, and little tufts of hair on their heads instead of manes. Both girls looked weary and slightly haggard, but they were beaming with pride.

"Are they baby magicorns?" Hermione swallowed. Magicorns were babies born from couplings between unicorn stallions and witches. She remembered that Lavender and Parvati had been heavily pregnant, that term, but she had had no idea that they would be giving birth to magicorns. What would anyone make of this?

"Won' yer congratulate them?" asked Hagrid.

"Congratulations!" squeaked Hermione.

Parvati grinned at her. "Thank you, Hermione. I bet you wish you had taken a special project? Unicorn sex is quite something I can tell you. And look at my little Ani." The foal had the body of a tiny tan coloured horse and a tuft of black hair on his head.

"He's so sweet!" said Hermione.

"Lavender found the delivery hard, but she pulled through. Full marks!" Parvati gave Lavender the thumbs up and Lavender gave a wan smile. Her long blond hair was hanging loose whereas Parvati had taken the troubles to put her hair into a plait, and she looked very pale and weary, but at the same time, triumphant. Her foal was suckling at her breast. He had the body of a silver foal and the tuft of hair on his human-shaped head was blond, like his mother's.

"Oh my, what will you do!" said Hermione wringing her hands.

"We're going to look after our foals of course," said Lavender looking askance at her. "After I've groaned and suffered to give birth to him I've jolly well earned being a mother."

"Ye've well earned full marks," said Hagrid proudly.

"It is an important piece of research, this project," said Parvati.

"Wait! Full marks? Hagrid, I've got to do this too," cried Hermione.

"Are yer sure, Hermione?" asked Hagrid.

Hermione felt torn on the subject. She had never really liked horses the way Parvati and Lavender obviously did, but if it was a matter of research, then she had to do it.

Hagrid led her into the forest into a clearing where there was a wooden mare. He thumped it and the backside swung open to reveal a cavity large enough for Hermione to crawl into. "Yer jus' gotta go in. Slip yer things off."

Hermione pulled off her robes and then her underwear and put her hands into the hollow frame shaped like a mare. Then suddenly she thought of Ron. What she was about to do was final. She hesitated.

"Don' yer want ten outta ten for yer project?" asked Hagrid.

Hermione gritted her teeth and clambered into the frame of the mare and Hagrid slammed it shut so that she was trapped inside. It was so cramped that she was forced to crouch, her sex pressed against an aperture in the underside of the wooden beast. There were two small holes which she could see out of. Hagrid left the clearing and she saw a full grown unicorn stallion, gleaming silver in the sunlight, coming towards her. He nuzzled the wooden mare and Hermione gasped as she saw his huge, quivering member – the size of a horse stallion's. She trembled in anticipation as the unicorn mounted the wooden mare and then screamed as the colossal unicorn member was thrust into her…


	2. Chapter 2

**Two Trimesters**

Afterwards, Hermione barely remembered tumbling out of the wooden frame as Hagrid opened the frame of the wooden mare. She was exhausted and the unicorn was slumped in the clearing, panting.

"Yer gave 'im a thorough workou'," Hagrid praised her.

"Splendid! You will join us next year then, Hermione," said Parvati.

Hermione could not easily forget the consequences. That summer she grew pale and sickly and began throwing up in the mornings.

"Are you OK, dear?" asked her mother, Lesley.

"Fine, mum," said Hermione as she emerged from the bathroom after spending a long time rinsing her mouth. "Listen, some friends have invited me to the Quidditch World Cup Final…"

Her mother's face fell.

"Oh, sweetie, we get to see so little of you as it is."

"I also have to study," said Hermione firmly. "Everyone who is serious about the exams next year must do that."

She felt bad about lying to her mother like that, but from this point on she would be spending even less time with her than Harry did at the Dursleys. She was to all intents and purposes, an emancipated minor now. So much her mum and dad didn't know… how could they understand how Hermione had gained so many hours by using the time turner? How much older did that make her? Old enough to be a mother already?

* * *

00O00

Hermione went to the Quidditch world Cup as planned. That summer had been trying. She was constantly throwing up in the mornings, but now she had passed the sickly phase, and gained a radiant glow in her cheeks. The morning they set off to pick up the portkey, she noticed a slight bulge around her belly. She wore an extra loose top to conceal it.

At the portkey, they happened to meet Amos and Cedric Diggory. Amos was a bald guy, with a scrubby brown beard and twinkling eyes. Cedric was an impossibly handsome young man, with a sculpted face, grey eyes and black hair.

Amos greeted them all good naturedly and did a double take at the sight of Harry. "Merlin's beard, Ced. That'll be something to tell your grandchildren. You beat Harry Potter at Quidditch."

Cedric looked uncomfortable. "Dad – it was an accident. Harry fell off his broom…"

"But you didn't, Ced. It doesn't take a genius to work out who's the better flier, as I'm sure Harry agrees."

Cedric shrugged. "Sorry."

Hermione could see he was embarrassed, and wanted to say something to try and comfort him. She stepped forward and noticed his collar was crooked. "Hold on, young man, your collar is crooked." She straightened it out. "There. Don't you look handsome."

Cedric stared at her in amazement.

"Hermione … what in the world are you doing?" said Ron, sounding fearful.

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry, it must be my maternal urges kicking in," said Hermione, feeling herself blush. There was more to being pregnant than she knew.

"Riiiggghhhht," said Ron. No one else seemed to know what to say… so embarrassing.

Hermione did not enjoy travelling by Portkey. Surely it was not good for her in her condition? She felt dizzy and nauseous again afterwards. When they introduced themselves to Mr Roberts, the Muggle organiser of the camp site, it was obvious the poor muggle was confused and suspicious of the magical goings on.

"Some bloke over there was wearing a kilt," he said, pointing.

"Shouldn't he be?" said Arthur Weasley nervously.

Harry smirked and Hermione suppressed a smile.

At that moment, a Ministry wizard showed up and obliviated the poor muggle. Hermione was shocked. What a thing to do to an offensive muggle who couldn't fight back. It turned out that Mr Roberts required ten memory charms a day to keep him unaware of the strange goings on… yikes. What effect would that have on him, and wasn't inflicting magical lobotomies and treating it as a joke bizarre in a universe where we're supposed to be outraged by the use of the Imperius Curse? The whole thing seemed to be treated as a joke, where we're supposed to laugh at the bit with the Ministry worker having to go to the trouble of obliviating him.

They had the chance to meet different people they knew from Hogwarts at the World Cup. They saw Seamus Finnigan and a sandy haired witch who was obviously his mother. Where was his father, the muggle?

"Yer supportin' Ireland, I presume," said Mrs Finnigan.

"Oh yes, um," Hermione began, "how is Mr Finnigan?"

"Livin' with a witch didn't suit him," said Mrs Finnigan, "so I had to erase his memory. He's probably still wondering around with no clue who he is."

The others laughed at that, but Hermione felt strangely ill. Really, after the events of the entire World Cup, the part with the Death Eaters levitating muggles seemed less shocking and inhumane by comparison.

* * *

00O00

When they got back to Hogwarts, Lavender and Parvati had not returned. Hermione wondered whether they had left and gone into the Forbidden Forest permanently, as outcasts. Was that the fate that awaited her? In Care of Magical Creatures, it transpired that Hagrid had carried out another pervy fantasy of mating a manticore with a firecrab to symbolically re-enact his own monstrous conception (and producing the Blast Ended Skrewts). Firecrabs are not too awful, but wizards do require a license to own one. Manticores however are foul monsters. In this coupling, the male firecrab represented Hagrid's wizard father and the manticore female his giantess mother.

Hermione's pregnancy continued over the coming months. She tried to conceal it by wearing increasingly thick jumpers and saying it was because of the cold weather.

At the Halloween Feast she had cravings for all sorts of strange foods, including pickled onions and ice cream. She couldn't help it. She just had to keep shovelling it into her face. Then came the time for the Goblet of Fire to spit out the names of the Champions. To Hermione's amazement, Harry's name came out as a fourth champion. Harry looked as shocked as he did. Dumbledore called for him and he went.

"Hold on a minute," Hermione protested. The crazy headmaster couldn't seriously be thinking of putting her friend in that awful contest where Champions actually died?

"Sit down, Hermione," said Ron, pulling her arm to make her sit down.

She glared at him. "Don't you care about our friend?"

"He put himself in," said Ron, tersely. "It's always him who gets the attention, and he knows it."

Hermione didn't trust herself to speak to him. How could he be jealous over something like this, when Harry's life could be on the line? She decided to wait in the boys dormitory to corner Harry and comfort him about it.

She slipped up the stairs from the Gryffindor Common Room, sat on Harry's four poster and drew the curtains shut. Nothing to do now, but wait. She had noticed how she grew tired easily these days. Where was Harry?

She waited until she heard Ron come up, but remained silent. Harry came up later and she threw aside the fourposter bed curtains.

"Oh Harry." There was a Gryffindor banner tied around him, and she hastened to unknot it while Ron just watched.

"So, congratulations," said Ron grimacing.

"Congratulations?" snapped Herimone. At that moment, her offspring kicked her insides with the force of a mule kicking. She winced and put a hand to her belly.

"What do you mean, congratulations?" said Harry.

"Well you put your name in. You're the champion," said Ron.

"That'll do, Ron," said Hermione, trying to make her tone sound like a warning. Ron drew back the curtains of his four poster in a huff.

Hermione sat herself down on Harry's bed. She was only wrapped in a pink nightie. She stroked her belly.

"Are you alright, Hermione? Why's your belly swollen?" said Harry, sounding awkward.

"Oh, Harry. Isn't it obvious?"

"You've been eating too much?" said Harry. "You should see how Dudley put it away before he was forced to diet… oh."

"Yes. Oh is right," said Hermione with a wry smile.

"But how? Who's the father?" said Harry bluntly. "I didn't know you had a boyfriend."

Hermione laughed, despite her sombre mood. "A unicorn did this to me. But don't tell Ron – he may get jealous of that as well."

"Yeah, I don't get why he's being like this." said Harry.

"He's not being rational," said Hermione, "he only thinks of the prestige part of the Tournament, not about how dangerous it is."

"That's the Gryffindor way," said Harry.

"I wonder whether we're both in the right house," said Hermione.

* * *

00O00

When Harry discovered that the first task involved getting past a dragon, Hermione knew she had to help him get good at summoning charms. It was hard work for both of them. Harry really couldn't seem to get into it. Hermione got tired and had to sit down to help him practice. Finally he got it right. She hugged him.

"Your belly is getting in the way," said Harry. "When's the foal due?"

"March some time," said Hermione weakly. "Oh, but it's going to be awful having to watch you face a dragon." She cupped his face in her hands. "Whatever you do, don't get hurt. I – I can't take my best friend getting burned or clawed…" She realised there were tears in her eyes.

"Wow, you really don't get the Gryffindor ideal of blundering headfirst into danger without a plan or any thought for the consequences. Although I can chalk all that up to pregnancy hormones," said Harry. "If it makes you feel any better, I'd rather be at the castle with you than anywhere else, even if the price is facing a dragon."

"Awww…" Hermione kissed him on the cheek.

* * *

00O00

As she had expected, the first task was awful. It was bad enough having to watch the other three champions menaced by the dragons, but as for Harry's turn with the Hungarian Horntail. It gave her such a turn that she thought she might accidentally give birth prematurely. She put her face in her hands and sobbed through most of it. At last it was over and Harry had got the egg. She rushed over to congratulate him.

Ron sidled up. "I reckon whoever put your name in the goblet is trying to kill you," he observed.

"That's clever of you," said Harry acidly.

Hermione clung to him. She was heavier now with the weight of her foal and she almost dragged him down. "Enough arguing," she said weakly. "That was awful. I'm going to complain to Dumbledore. I should've done it sooner. He ought to insist that the Tournament be cancelled. There's obviously something wrong about it."

* * *

00O00

She and Harry went to the entrance to Dumbledore's tower. Harry guessed that the password would be candy of some kind. Eventually he guessed cockroach cluster, which was correct – who would've thought?

To her great relief, the stairs carried them upwards like an escalator. Hermione did not think she could face more steep stairs just yet.

At the door to Dumbledore's office, they could hear Dumbledore and Fudge arguing. "Minister, you must cancel the tournament," Dumbledore was saying. "Clearly there is something gravely wrong…"

"I will not be thought a coward!" retorted Fudge.

"A true leader worries about what is right," replied Dumbledore serenely.

"What did you say?" shouted Fudge.

Harry knocked on the door and it swung open.

Fudge forced himself to grin. It looked quite painful. "Well, that will be all Dumbledore."

"Is there no chance then? The Tournament won't be cancelled?" said Hermione anxiously.

"I have no power to overrule the Minister for Magic," said Dumbledore.

"Right. Great." Hermione knew her voice sounded brittle.

"Oh, it's alright," said Harry. "I'm not trying to be a hero, but you saw how I beat the horntail, sir."

"I did indeed Harry."

* * *

00O00

This did nothing to help Hermione's anxiety. Why couldn't Harry take things seriously? She was sitting in the library one evening while Harry was off with Ron somewhere. She had to sit down a lot lately and couldn't spend as much time looking over the shelves for books. She sat down with a copy of Advanced Magic and tried to concentrate as her foal in her womb kicked her. Then she looked up. Viktor Krum was in the library and coming right towards her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Birth of the Foal**

"Herm-o-ninny, I vant to speak vith you," said Krum, sounding like he was just failing his GCSE English.

"Oh yes?" said Hermione. Then she noticed Krum's shirt was untucked. "Hang on." She stood up and tucked in Krum's shirt for him and then brushed the dust off his lapels. "There, isn't that better?" Then she realised what she was doing. "Sorry…" Her pregnant belly was pressed against him. Her maternal instincts had been getting the better of her again.

"Pregnant vomen are hot."

"Really?" Hermione's eyes were wide.

"You are obviously special. I vant to go to the Yule Ball vith you. I never felt this vay about another girl."

Hermione's brows drew together. "Viktor… are you sure… would you want me to be your girlfriend? I don't even like Quidditch all that much. I like the library better."

But because Rowling forgot to give a reason, Hermione was Krum's dream girl whatever the circumstances, and in this timeline, her pregnancy naturally made her more alluring.

On the way back to the common room, Neville Longbottom approached her.

"Hi Neville," said Hermione smiling at him.

"Hermione, I…" he blushed.

She put a hand on his arm. "Is everything alright?"

"Hermione, I was going to ask you to the ball," he said quickly. "You've always been so kind, helping me out in Potions and everything…" he tailed off awkwardly.

Hermione felt really sorry for him. "I – I'm sorry Neville. I can't go with you. I've already accepted an invitation to go with someone else." She put her arms around him, anticipating that he needed comfort. "Hang in there, dear. It's just a ball…"

* * *

00O00

Back in the common room Ron yelled at her. "Oy – Hermione – you count as a girl. Barely. I haven't managed to find anyone, so I'll condescend to going with you to this ball thing. A big sacrifice for me, I know."

"I can't," said Hermione.

"Oh come on, we're going to look really stupid if we haven't got partners," said Ron.

"I can't because I'm going with someone else," said Hermione blushing.

"No you're not. You just said that to get rid of Neville."

Hermione glared at him. "Did I? Just because it took you this long to realise I'm a girl, doesn't mean no one else has."

"Alright, I know you're a girl, however sad and obnoxious you are," said Ron. "Will you come now?"

"I've already told you. I'm going with someone else," snapped Hermione.

While the others had a furious snowball fight in the grounds, Hermione got herself ready for the Ball. She had picked out a special, blue maternity dress made of silk and used a lot of sleakeasy hair potion so that she could fix her hair into an elegant bun. When she arrived in the entrance hall, Krum took her by the arm and led her into the hall.

Harry was with a curly haired Hufflepuff girl, having had the sense to take the first one who asked him this time, instead of messing about. "Doesn't Hermione look radiant tonight," he observed. "She has a real glow in her cheeks."

"Yes, that's the pregnancy," said the girl.

Ron hadn't managed to find a partner. Neither had Crabbe or Goyle. Hermione was glad to see that Neville at least was going with Ginny. At least he was not without a partner. Ron was not pleased to see Hermione with Krum. He shook his fist and bared his teeth at them. Classy, that Ron. Viktor wanted to talk to Hermione a lot about Durmstrang. It turned out that it had only four floors, and even though it was in the far north, the fires were only lit for magical reasons. Weird. That was just so impractical.

* * *

00O00

Ron was waiting to confront her in the Common Room. "How could you fraternise with the enemy. He's competing against Harry – against Hogwarts! And he's already knocked you up, you slut."

Hermione felt herself growing angry. "He did nothing of the kind. I've been pregnant since last June. And if you don't like it, you should ask me out to a ball immediately and not as a last resort."

"Completely missing the point," said Ron gaping.

"No, I don't think she is," said Harry.

"Well watch," said Ron evilly, "I'm going to burn my figurine of Krum. It sort of acts like its alive, so I get to kill something alive. You'll find an arm under your bed tomorrow."

* * *

00O00

When it came to the time of the Second Task, Hermione had to be put into an enchanted sleep before being placed in the lake. She only consented after being assured that no harm would come to her or her foal. After that, she didn't really remember much until Krum dragged her out of the water. He was just getting rid of his shark head. The winter sunshine caused her to blink. The water was freezing cold, but it didn't bother her as much as she thought it would. She did find the taunts she received about being the thing Viktor Krum would miss most to be exasperating. Presumably they would include the strangeness of their being a pair in the first place.

In March it was finally time for Hermione to give birth. Harry had to escort her to the hospital wing. "Back again, Mr Potter?" Said Madam Pomfrey. "Actually, I like having you here." She brightened. "The bed by the window is vacant this time."

"Actually it's Hermione who's back," said Harry. Hermione had a very large maternity dress today. She gasped and strained as she pushed, with Madame Pomfrey encouraging her. Harry looked sort of awkward, but what was he supposed to do?

Hermione hissed and puffed like a birthing housecat. Then Krum came in. He noticed Harry standing by Hermione. "I vant to know vot there is between you and Herm – o – ninny," he said sternly.

"Nothing," said Harry.

"Nothing? Really?" said Hermione as she gasped and puffed.

"We're friends," said Harry, "but she's not my girlfriend." Well that was perfectly true. Harry stood aside and allowed Krum to stand by Hermione.

Hermione screamed as she pushed and her foal came out. She gathered it up in her arms. It was a little yellow foal, the four little legs all a tangle. The legs didn't seem to really have hooves. The ends of the legs were soft and rounded. The eyes were closed and the face was round with a snubbed nose and wide mouth. It had a little tuft of pink hair on its head. It opened its mouth and began to bleat in a high pitched whine. "It's a filly – or a girl – whichever you want to say," said Madame Pomfrey.

The foal opened her eyes. They looked really large in her weird little face. Almost too large. Bigger than Bambi eyes. Such big, brown eyes staring inquisitively up at her. Like Hermione's own. She began to feel a warm, soft protective feeling well up in her. All her apprehensions and regrets were forgotten. She clasped the foal to her breast and she immediately began to suckle, her little cheeks bulging as she swallowed. "Oh… my little one…" said Hermione weakly. "How have I waited this long for you?"

Krum was looking at the little foal with distaste, but Hermione didn't care. Harry was peering at the foal as well, and his expression was hard to read. Hermione looked up at Harry. "My little Ashleigh," she said.

* * *

00O00

Hermione had to abandon her studies and live in a suite of unused classrooms (one of many sets of unused classrooms at Hogwarts when you remember how small the number of students in Harry's year are and how big the castle is - think how many empty rooms there must be). Looking after Ashleigh, or Ash as Hermione preferred to call her, was hard work. Feeding her, helping her to walk, shovelling away her manure and most importantly, teaching her to read and talk. Hermione was delighted with her progress. In just two months, she could read and speak. Magicorns obviously grew quickly, like horse foals did, only with human intelligence. One morning in May, Hermione was delighted to see her foal now had brown spots all over her body and face, like a giraffe. No longer was she just plain yellow, now she was beautifully spotted. Hermione had always thought spotted animals were the prettiest. With magicorns, it was obviously like with dalmatians - the spots only appeared after a few weeks. Ash was her own - her own beautiful little daughter. Her precious creature. Her heart almost breaking apart with joy, Hermione scooped Ash up in her arms and kissed her and kissed her. Ash gave her little whinnying squeal, and nuzzled Hermione's neck. "Hugs! Hugs!" She bleated in her whinnying little voice.

Harry came to visit her later that day. He was the only one who did. Krum and Ron certainly never visited, and it wasn't as though Hermione had any other friends besides Harry.

Ash was cantering around the room. "'lo Harry," she squealed, cantering up to him. She gazed up at him with wide, dark eyes.

"Oh, hello, Ash," said Harry looking down at her and seeing her spotted pelt. "You look different today."

"Isn't she the most beautiful thing you ever saw?" said Hermione, feeling tears of happiness in her eyes.

"Definitely," said Harry. "Here." He knelt down and held out a sugar lump to Ash in the palm of his hand.

"Tanks," said Ash, gobbling the sugar down and getting slobber on Harry's hand.

"In the Third Task, I've got to get through a maze of traps," said Harry. "I suppose it'll be like when we got through the traps and puzzles around the Philosopher's Stone."

"Right up your street," said Hermione smiling. "Of course, you'll still need help."

"I wanna help," squeaked Ash.

"That's nice," said Harry, ruffling her pink hair.

"I do," said Ash, pouting. "Mummy loves you most. I know it."

Harry looked a little embarrassed. He never was good at expressing emotions. Not really surprising, given he was raised by the horrible Dursleys.

"She does," said Ash, her big brown eyes wide in her spotted little face. "She says that Krum has no time for single mums or mares, and Ron is mean."

"Ash…" said Hermione, embarrassed.

Ash cantered around Harry with astonishing speed. "Lemme help, lemme help, huh?"

"That's up to your mummy," said Harry firmly.

"Well whoever put your name in the goblet must be feeling pretty stupid by now," said Hermione. "They've failed twice, and they've only got one last chance to hurt you…" Hermione paused. "I – I think this is where they're going to do their worst."

Ash nuzzled Harry's leg. "Don't be stoopid and die, 'cos Mummy says that'd just kill her." She cocked her head inquisitively at Harry. "What did Mummy mean? How'd it just kill her?"

"I mean it'd break my heart, Ash" said Hermione. "You and Harry are all I have left to love – and all I have left to lose. Viktor was false. Ron is a jerk. I've had to drop out of school, so there goes my studies out of the window. I'm estranged from my Mum and Dad – I spend less time with them than Harry does with the Dursleys. I couldn't possibly love either of you more. Losing either of you would be more than I could bear..."

At that moment, the door was kicked aside, and a dark shadow fell across the room.


	4. Chapter 4

**Training and Crisis**

It was Malfoy.

"Just stopping by to tell you – you don't stand a chance," he sneered. "The Third Task won't be much of a spectator sport. It's just sitting staring at the entrance to a maze. Just like the Second was staring at the surface of the lake. Big deal. You fluked through two, but you don't stand a chance this time, Potter."

"Poo Malfoy," whinnied Ash. Harry scooped her up in his arms in case Malfoy should think to hurt her. She waved her four little legs around and squealed. "Love Harry, love Harry."

"Granger's into bestiality. Not surprising," said Malfoy with a sneer and then left.

"Should I hex him?" said Harry, although he could not wield a wand while clutching Ash.

The little magicorn turned her spotted face to him and wrinkled her snubbed nose. "I said I wanna help. Lemme help." Hermione gave her foal a loving smile.

"Alright, Ash," said Harry. "How are you going to help."

"Well we've gotta go to the libr'y," said Ash. "I wanna go now, I wanna read. I haven't read for ages."

"It was only a few minutes ago I was reading to you about Arithmancy," chided Hermione.

"I wanna read more."

"You're definitely your mother's daughter," said Harry holding her up. She giggled and waved her back legs in the air. Her legs didn't have hooves, but they didn't have feet either. They just had blunt ends. Weird. She did however, have a fine, pink tail.

Hermione came over and took Ash in her arms, kissing her spotty face and making her whinny even louder. "See. Harry can see you're Mummy's little girl," cooed Hermione and mother and foal pressed their noses together.

* * *

00O00

The library wasn't too busy at this time. Hermione set Ash down on the table and began to root through the shelves. With no computer cataloguing system, the library was like a muggle library in the very old days. There was a slim book no bigger than an exercise book on the table. Ash picked it up in her mouth, trotted over to Harry and dropped it on the table beside him. "Open it, open it," she clamoured. Harry picked it up. Someone had written 'Maze Monsters' on the front cover in blue ink.

"You want me to read this, Ash?"

The foal wrinkled her little nose. "Obviouslee… I haven't got hands, so you've got to open it for me. Then I can read it to you."

"Oh, right," Harry opened the exercise book and Ash peered down at it.

"I can read well now… In prev'ous Triwizard Tournaments, a Sphinx was placed in the d'rect route to the maze." She jumped up and down in excitement. "Oh, oh, Harry, a Sphinx is a bit like me. It is."

"What is a Sphinx?" said Harry.

Hermione came over with a stack of books. She glanced at the page Ash was reading and her brows drew together. "The Sphinx is a monster with the body of a lion and the face of a woman. She asks you riddles and if you answer wrong, she attacks."

Ash made a snorting sound. "Riddles are fun. You gotta practice, Harry."

"OK, Ash, I'll practice," said Harry.

Ash gazed up at him with big brown eyes. "I know a riddle. What's the first letter in the word 'cat?'"

"That's your riddle?" said Harry.

Hermione beamed and touched the foal's spotted cheek with the tip of a finger. "Clever girl. Harry should practice riddles. Come on, Harry. What's the answer?"

"C," said Harry.

Ash gave a whinnying squeal. "You gottit!" She cantered around the tabletop in celebration, cheering in her high-pitched little voice. Her cheering sounded rather like neighing. She cantered to a halt and gazed up at Harry again. "One more riddle. What is the number that comes after three?"

"Four?" said Harry.

"You gottit!" squealed Ash, and went through the routine of neighing and cantering around the tabletop again.

"OK, enough riddles," said Harry.

"Awww, jus' one more riddle?" Said Ash, fixing him with her bambi eyes.

"Yes, Harry, one more riddle," said Hermione sternly.

"Alright," said Harry, not wishing to displease Ash's mother. He really did think he had had enough of riddles though…

"What's the noise a piggy makes?" said Ash, and she folded her legs and sat down, still gazing up at Harry, her brown eyes wide in her spotty little face.

"Oink?" said Harry.

"Oink? Oink oink oink? You gottit!" Ash went cantering around the table, neighing in delight yet again. Harry thought he'd better think of a distraction, or she'd keep him at the riddles all day.

"Ash, how'd you like to come with me to meet a special friend – a very funny friend? I don't think your Mummy would be welcome where he hangs out, but I am. He'll help us."

Hermione blinked. Did she look hurt?

"Yay! I wanna come see your friend!" squeaked Ash.

"Right." Harry scooped her up in his arms and she whinnied in delight. Hermione smiled and followed as he led the way out of the library.

Ash nuzzled Harry's cheek. She had a faint, musty smell. "I wanna see all your friends, Harry," she bleated. "They c'n all help."

"I don't think so," said Harry. "I don't ask just anyone for help."

Ash wrinkled her brown spotted nose at him. "Why?"

"I'm too proud. I wouldn't ask our mate, Neville Longbottom for help, even though he's not a complete prat, like Ron."

Ash gazed at him with big brown eyes. "Why?"

"Well I want to win by my own merits. And an element of risk makes it all the more fun. That is the Gryffindor way. Your Mummy was in Gryffindor. She told you all about it, I bet."

Ash wrinkled her freckled nose again. "Yeah, I know 'bout Gryffindor."

"Well you're not going to be so foolish about this Task, Harry," said Hermione sharply. "We're going to find you all the help we can."

"I'm helping 'im," said Ash.

"You certainly are," said Harry absently. Ash nuzzled his cheek again.

They went down the marble staircase to the Entrance Hall, and then down the flight of stairs that led to the kitchens.

At the end of the corridor, Harry held Ash round the middle and pointed her at the picture of the bowl of fruit. "Look, Ash. See this picture? If you touch the pear with your foot, it'll open the door."

"Cool. I can't open any doors yet," said Ash, and reached out a little leg to touch the pear. The pear squirmed and formed a door knob. The door swung open and they went into the kitchens.

"Now, Hermione, mind you don't go offending them," said Harry. "Leave all the talking to me."

Hermione sighed. "Well, slavery is wrong. Yes, even the way it is done here at Hogwarts is wrong. What am I supposed to do?" Her lip curled. "Mature into a good slave owner? I don't think so." She sniffed. "It's just that no one cares about what I have to say."

Ash waved her little legs in the air as Harry held her. "Don' be sad, Mummy. I care."

Hermione smiled and took her foal in her arms. Ash nuzzled her on the cheek.

"Dobby!" Called Harry.

Dobby came leaping over to them, holding a trumpet in his mouth which he blew into, making an awful din. "A very Harry day to you!" he called. Harry was shocked to see that the elf had a balloon that resembled Harry's own head blown up to massive proportions.

Ash neighed and whinnied in approval. "It's Harry, it's Harry."

Harry took the balloon from Dobby and let it go. It floated up to the ceiling. "Dobby, I was going to ask, is there anything else you might have found out about the Tournament? I may need help finding things out."

Dobby nodded his head. "Hagrid will put one of those horrible blast ended skrewts in the maze, Harry Potter. Ermm…" the elf looked uncomfortably at Ash in Hermione's arms. Yes, that must pose a lot of awkward questions! It looked pretty obvious now what Hermione must have been up to. "Dobby will find out more. Dobby is a house elf. We see things, we hear things too."

"Dobby! Hello Dobby!" bleated Ash. "Mummy's talked about you. Says you're a clever elf."

"Thank you, little magicorn," said Dobby with a smile.

Harry noticed that Ash hadn't made any of the gaffes Hermione made the last time she was in the kitchens when she started telling all the elves they should be free and trying to bring Dobby into the dispute. Ash was a bookworm like Hermione, but in terms of making awkward social gaffes, she did not seem to take after her mother.

"Can I have fooood?" Squealed Ash.

"Can she?" said Harry.

"Anything you ask, Harry Potter. Let her eat anything on this table."

Hermione set Ash down on the table. "Do be careful now, Ash. Don't knock anything over."

"I won't, Mummy." Ash saw a bowl of trifle and she gave a little snort, her big brown eyes widening even more than usual. She buried her face in the trifle, slurping noisily.

"Well anyway, you got me through the Second Task, Dobby," said Harry. "I have complete faith in you. Your help was most useful last time."

Ash looked up from the trifle. There was cream all over her little face. "I'm helping 'im too."

"Then between us we has it covered," said Dobby, his tennis ball sized eyes swivelling from Ash to Hermione as if shocked and fascinated. Harry knew how he felt.

Suddenly there was a pounding at the door. The elves all looked up. The lights dimmed and the door broke off its hinges. It was Malfoy at the head of a gang of Slytherins. Malfoy pointed at Ash. "There she is. The little cross-bred mutant. As Slytherins and blood purists, we've got to kill it. In the name of the Dark Lord…" The end of Malfoy's wand glowed red. Ash whinnied in terror and she bolted across the table, upsetting plates and dishes and cutlery on the way. She moved very fast indeed, her little spotted form was almost at the far end of the table in an instant, almost before the elves could protest at the mess she was making. Hermione screamed, but Harry kept a cool head. He leapt in front of the table and raised his wand against Malfoy. There was no way he would let Malfoy kill little Ash. But how was he going to fight off all these Slytherins?

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:** Can Harry fight off all these aspiring Death Eaters and save Hermione's foal? Shall we call the Slytherins Death Nibblers? They are just wannabe Death Eaters after all._


	5. Chapter 5

**Hermione Returns**

Hermione panicked and flung herself across the table, upsetting pots and pans to get between the Slytherins and her foal. Dobby pointed at Malfoy. There was a crack and Malfoy was flung across the room, crashing into the tureens on another of the long tables, much to the dismay of the house-elves.

Harry fired a jelly legs jinx and a couple stunning hexes at three other Slytherins.

"Dobby, get Moody!" said Harry. Dobby vanished with a crack.

There was a ringing in Hermione's ears from all the noise. Ash was cowering huddled in a corner, her big brown eyes were very wide and her bottom lip quivering. Hermione scooped her up in her arms. The poor little thing was trembling. Her heart really thumping.

There were four more Slytherins who surrounded them. Harry backed into the corner, standing in front of Hermione. He held his wand out, but the Slytherins were menacing him with theirs.

"Back off. Lay off little Ash," said Harry fiercely. Ash whimpered. "I mean it," said Harry. "You'll have to go through me."

"Get outta the way, Potter," said one of the Slytherins, an unkempt burly seventh year. "You can't win."

"Oh no, laddie?" The four Slytherins all jumped at the sound of Moody's voice. He had arrived, teleporting along with Dobby, his magical eye revolving sinisterly.

The Slytherins pointed at him, yelled in terror, and scattered. Malfoy, covered in dessert from when he crashed into the tureen, dived under the long table.

"Good to see you, professor," said Harry panting.

Relief swept over Hermione. "T-Thank you," she stammered.

"Yay! 'S Moody," whinnied Ash. In her excitement, she wriggled in Hermione's arms, trying to crane her little neck to get a better view. "I c'n see his eye."

"Should I ask what you're doing, Potter, or how you took it upon yourself to fight a whole gang single-handed, eh?" said Moody.

"Well, you know, good practice. A warm up for the Third Task," said Harry, shrugging nonchalantly. "Plus all the risk is a fine thing for a Gryffindor. It wasn't a fair fight. I did outnumber them one to eight."

"Well, stay confident, Potter," growled Moody. "I've taught you all I can. I've nothing left to teach you now. You can resist the Imperius Curse. I've a feeling that will come in handy."

* * *

00O00

That night, Harry slept fitfully. "Harry. Harry." There was a squeaky little voice in his ear. He opened his eyes. Ash's spotted face was right next to his. She was smiling. "I visit Harry," she chattered, sounding pleased with herself.

Harry lifted his wand. "Lumos." The end of the wand emitted a faint light.

Ash was standing on his pillow. She picked something up in her mouth. It was a book. She carried it over to Harry and dropped it on his lap. "It's a present, Harry. Look."

"What are you doing here?" snapped Harry.

Ash stuck out her bottom lip. "I wanna give you a present 'cos you rescued me. Can you read it? Wish I had hands to turn pages."

"Oh well…" Harry picked up the book and flicked through the pages. It was about the history of broomsticks. Interesting. It was always good to know more about them. "Thanks, Ash."

Ash climbed onto his lap, gazing up at him with her soft, brown eyes, so like Hermione's eyes. She was a pretty little thing. The spotted pattern of her pelt seemed to begin with small brown spots all over her face, progressing to larger spots all over her body. But it was still really weird, and still made his head spin, that this was Hermione's daughter. She wasn't even human and yet she was what Hermione had given birth to. Certainly difficult for Harry to get his head round that part. He would go on to find it difficult to get his head round the idea that Dumbledore's personality was not set in stone at the age of seventeen, which shows how bright he is.

Ash was still staring at him. "Harry, I like to read, but I can't turn pages. Wish I had hands." She lifted a blunt foreleg. "I c'n read like Mummy, but I can't turn pages. You say I'm like Mummy?"

"Did I?" Harry had already forgotten that he had said that to Hermione that morning!

"You did."

"How'm I like Mummy?"

"Er… you're really smart for your age. What are you, just two months old? And you can already read and you knew that stuff about Sphinxes. I didn't. Hermione also has an excellent memory and uses it to her advantage."

"I c'n ask riddles too," she said, her wide mouth stretching into a smile.

"Please don't," said Harry, already feeling weary at the thought of her riddles.

"M'kay. You wanna sleep. So do I." She curled up on his pillow and closed her brown eyes and began breathing gently.

Harry shrugged to himself and lay back down. He didn't wake until the dawn.

When he did wake up, Ash was still there, but the other boys had gone downstairs. Harry stroked Ash's spotted pelt and then shook her gently. "Come on, sleepy head."

Ash opened her eyes and stretched her mouth open wide in a yawn.

"Come on, Ash. You've got to get moving."

"Don't wanna," said Ash with a little snort, like that of a horse.

"I can teach you how to fly," said Harry. "How'd you like that. Your Mummy can't."

"Ooh, ooh, lemme fly," squealed Ash, standing up on all four legs.

Harry slipped out of bed and picked her up. He held her up high above his head as she giggled and then threw her in the air and caught her again. Probably Hermione wouldn't approve, but Ash seemed to love it. She shrieked in whinnying laughter.

Harry held her firmly and spun around. "Wheeee!" she squealed.

Finally the thought occurred to Harry. "Hermione was OK with you coming over here on your own?"

"Mummy doesn't know. I 'scaped."

"Great. She's going to be worried sick," said Harry grimly. "Never mind…"

"What is the strange creature, Harry?" asked Dean Thomas as he emerged from the bathroom.

"Hermione's daughter," said Harry shortly. "The father's a unicorn stallion."

Clutching Ash firmly in both arms, he carried her down the stairs to the Common Room.

"The father's a unicorn…?" repeated Ash, narrowing her eyes at him. "You all have Mummies and Daddies. I have Mummy and who? A unicorn?"

"Don't feel so bad," said Harry. "Seamus Finnigan's mum destroyed his father's brain."

Ash's dark eyes bulged in horror. "Why?!"

"Because she could. It's the way of the wizarding world. The Death Eaters are not that different from everyone else. At least the unicorn is still alive and has his memories of Hermione."

Ash stuck out her bottom lip. "I don't like the wizardin' world."

"I'm sure you don't, but your mum is a witch and your father a magical beast. So the magical world is your world. Just like it's mine. There. We've got something in common Ash. Do you like that?"

She sniffed. "Are you angry 'bout somethin', Harry?"

"No, no. It's your Mummy who'll be angry."

The Gryffindors looked round curiously as Harry carried Ash into the Common Room.

"Awwww, that little creature's so sweet," cooed Lacey, a third year girl.

Ash giggled. "Luv ya."

"Oooooh, she can talk," cried the girl in delight. "Can I have her? I'll pay ten galleons and take good care of her."

"She's Hermione's foal," said Harry. "If you want to help with the foal-sitting, best speak to Hermione."

"I love books," piped Ash.

"Yes, she sounds like Hermione," said Lacey. "Can't I hold her?"

Harry handed Ash to Lacey who cradled the little magicorn in her arms like a baby. Ash smiled up into her face.

"Awwww, you're spots are so pretty," said Lacey. She tickled Ash under the chin and Ash giggled.

"Who wants to be tickled?" Cooed Lacey. She sat down, laid Ash on the floor and tickled her belly. Ash screamed with neighing laughter and waved her tiny legs around. A few other girls sidled over to watch.

"Oooh, what a perfect specimen of a magicorn," said Tracey, a sixth year Gryffindor, readjusting her glasses on her nose.

Ash smiled up at her as she lay on her back, her little legs in the air. "I luv ya all."

The girls squealed in delight and crowded round, fussing and petting her. Ash began to show off, demonstrating how she could balance on her hind legs for a few moments and how she could hold a slim book in her mouth.

"See? I like readin', but can't turn pages. I've got no hands," squeaked Ash.

"There's more to life than dusty old books," said Angelina Johnson. "Here. Can you catch?"

It turned out that Ash could catch a little rubber ball that Angelina had on her. The girls all applauded.

"There," said Angelina. "Isn't that better than swotting like a Ravenclaw?"

The girls continued fussing over Ash who clearly enjoyed the attention. They stroked her pink mane and petted her, giving her sweets and fruit. Harry wondered if they could all help Hermione out with the baby/foal sitting.

"How old are you, Ash?" Asked Alicia Spinnet.

"Two months," said Ash proudly. "I c'n count."

"Amazing how much cooler she is than a two month old human," said Angelina. "Human babies in their first three months are useless slugs. It's like they're in a fourth trimester."

"Unicorns grow up quick, like horses," said Tracey. "Magicorns are the same, but they're very intelligent. Hermione's quite brainy and you can tell her foal is."

"Yay! Mummy an' I are brainy," whinnied Ash.

At that moment, the portrait swung open and Hermione clambered through the hole.

Hermione was angry. Her face was blotchy and her eyes bloodshot. She'd obviously been crying. Her mouth was compressed to a thin line and her face was white.

Harry and the other Gryffindors all looked round. Hermione shoved her way through the small crowd of girls.

Harry pointed at Ash. "Look who we've found. Right little rascal, eh?"

"Ash…" Hermione choked. "How dare you run off and leave me? Don't you realise how dangerous it is for you to do that?"

Ash's pointed horsy ears drooped and she looked at the floor at Hermione's feet.

"Look at me!" said Hermione. The foal stared at Hermione's ample bosom (her breasts had grown because of all the breastfeeding she had done and now were really big and round). "At my face," said Hermione. Ash fixed Hermione with her wide brown bambi eyes and her bottom lip quivered.

"Go easy on her, Hermione," said Lacey.

"Don't tell me how to treat my own daughter!" Hermione breathed heavily through her nose. Then she spoke again in a gentler voice. "Didn't you stop to think how I'd feel, Ash?"

"Sorreee," said Ash.

Hermione suddenly seemed to get over her huff and grabbed her foal, hugging her tight. The girls gave a chorus of "aaaahs."

"I think you should both come back to Gryffindor," said Alicia. "Don't we all want you to stay." There was a chorus of agreements. Hermione blushed. Clearly she was basking in the reflected glow of Ash's popularity. That was definitely a way in which her foal was different – she actually had some social skills!

"You should come back, boob girl. I want you to," said Dean Thomas. OK, Hermione herself was getting more popular as well. Harry put his arm round Hermione's shoulder. "As far as I'm concerned, you never stopped being a Gryffindor."

Then he noticed Ron, lurking in the shadows, glowering. Suddenly, he leapt into the middle of the room. "Well I say you are not welcome back. We don't want filthy pervs like you, breeding monsters. Get out, mudblood!"

There was a silence. Ash stared at Ron wide-eyed and Hermione's face was white.

"Take that back, Ron," said Harry.

"No. What's your angle in this, Harry? You and Dean both want to be a stallion's sloppy seconds?

"Then there is only one way to settle this," said Harry. A duel.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:** How will this go? Can Harry win a duel? Can he ever!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Duelling and Birthing**

Ron immediately began fighting dirty, firing a cruciatus curse at Harry. Fortunately Harry remembered the counter that Moody had told him about. "Tranquilo." The spells cancelled one another out.

Ron cursed and blew a gout of flames at Harry with his wand, but Harry knew a counter to that as well. A spell for healing wounds just happened to counter a flame spell. Fortunately, Ron was not powerful enough to conjure Fiendfyre. Harry followed up with a jelly legs jinx that caused Ron to collapse onto the floor. Harry took his wand. "Crawl away, Ron. It can be part of your punishment."

Scowling, and muttering horrible threats, Ron crawled away through the portrait hole, to the cheers of the Gryffindors.

"Nice work, Harry," said Dean. "Ron's unicorn wand was less use than Hermione's unicorn's wand."

Hermione blushed rather pinkly.

"I think we can agree that Harry has fought for Ash's right to be accepted here," said Angelina.

"You love me, Harry," squealed Ash, bouncing up and down on her four little legs.

"I would risk my life for you without a second's thought," said Harry truthfully.

Ash gave a little whinny and nuzzled Harry's leg. "Harry loves me, he loves me."

Harry wondered whether that were true. He would blunder into danger for any friend, even if he did not exactly love them.

Elsie, a blond third year girl, had been sitting there watching the duel. Now she spoke. "It's great that Harry fought for magicorns to stay here, because there's going to be another one soon. My water just broke."

Harry just noticed that Elsie was very heavily pregnant and wearing a maternity dress.

"We've got to get you to the Hospital Wing," squeaked Hermione, clutching her face with both hands. "Congratulations Elsie, on becoming a mother, no matter how. It will make you happy and I can support you. Ash… you're going to have a little brother or sister."

Ash gave a louder whinny of approval and galloped around Elsie's chair as Hermione conjured a stretcher. "Yay! I'm a big sis now! Don' worry Elsie. I wanna help."

Ash had definitely inherited Hermione's helpful disposition.

The Gryffindors levitated Elsie onto a stretcher and she lay back, her huge belly sticking out. They made their way down the corridor, the stretcher with Elsie on it floating in front of them.

Ash cantered along at their heels. "I c'n help ya, Elsie."

Elsie pouted. "Yeah… are you going to do the foal sitting now, little Ash?" She sighed. "Hagrid made it sound fun when I started his class in September. Unicorn sex, then a Pegasus as well, one after the other… But he didn't say I wouldn't be able to play Quidditch. Not that I could've made the team, anyway. And he didn't say that boys don't go for girls with kids or foals."

"Aw, come on now, a pretty girl like you can't get a date?" said Dean. "Your boobs'll get really big. That'll be sexy."

Elsie was pretty. No doubt about it. Harry looked at her freckled nose and cheeks, her dark blue eyes and her soft blond hair. She had a nose ring, but whether that was against Hogwarts rules hardly mattered now that she was pregnant by a unicorn.

"That's not all you've given up," said Hermione sharply. "Being a mother is a big responsibility, whether you have a baby or a foal. You're going to have to give up your studies for a while."

"Yay," said Elsie, not really taking it seriously enough.

In the hospital wing, Elsie did have to remove her Elsie huffed and cried, her face turning red. Her engorged belly rippled and pulsed. "Merlin's beard, it hurts so much! Why didn't Hagrid say so?"

Hermione took her hand. "Yes, it does. But you'll pull through it as well. Push harder."

"Oh, what does it look like I'm doing?"

Eventually a little, green magicorn with a pink tuft of hair popped out, in a hot slippery rush. Madame Pomfrey presented it to Elsie. "It's a filly."

"That means you have a pretty little girl foal," said Hermione. "Ash, you have a new sister."

"I know. Give me my baby." Elsie cradled the little green creature in her arms and it bleated for milk until she put her nipple in its mouth. "There, there. You are my gorgeous little thing."

Hermione held Ash up and the magicorn gazed at the foal, her brown eyes wide in her spotted face. "My lil sis? I wanna play wiv her. Lemme play wiv my lil sis. An' does she like reading? I c'n show her my fave book."

"Later. She needs her rest," said Hermione soothingly.

Elsie smiled at them. "She's my little Jade."

Imaginative name, thought Harry.

"It's a great feeling, isn't it?" Said Hermione. "You'd do anything for her. You're not the same person you were. Now the rest of your life will be very different. But at this time, you can just feel love and calm…"

At that point, Elsie gave a yell, her face turning red.

"Oops, there's still one in there," said Madame Pomfrey.

Elsie clutched Jade to her and yelled again. Eventually, a little gold foal popped out. It had tiny little stubs of wings.

"Aah, the Pegasus swooped in their pretty quickly for the unicorn's sloppy seconds," said Dean knowledgeably.

"Clever of the Pegasus," groaned Elsie. "It took him five minutes. It's taken me a lot of pain…"

"It's a colt," said Madame Pomfrey.

Elsie took the colt in her other arm and let him suckle on her other breast. "You'll be my beautiful, flying stallion. You'll grow big and strong and fly high," she cooed. "I'll call you Dash. We'll fly away someday. You'll carry Mummy on your back."

Then she gave a sharp cry and convulsed. Then she expelled the afterbirth. Gross. Harry had forgotten the rather gross details from when Hermione had given birth to Ash. Lucky Harry.

Madame Pomfrey picked up the afterbirth to check that it was all there and that there was none of it left in Elsie.

"Is there such a thing as an after-birthday party?" quipped Dean.

Hermione stroked Elsie's hair. "You did brilliantly, Elsie."

"Two foals for me to play with?" whinnied Ash, her brown eyes wide.

"You can help with the foal-sitting," said Elsie, her face pale and her freckles really showing.


	7. Chapter 7

**The Third Task**

The next day, Harry and Hermione were discussing what tactics he should use in the Third Task. Ash was sitting in Hermione's lap making comments she thought were helpful.

Elsie was sitting next to them, breastfeeding her foals. "They pretty much just feed and poop," she observed.

"Well soon they'll be able to walk and Dash will be able to fly. Then you'll be running around after them a lot," said Hermione with a wry smile.

"What books do they like?" piped Ash, gazing at the tiny foals.

"What books do they like? They only seem to like feeding," said Elsie. "Still, at least I got out of exams and didn't have to drop out of school. Hermione actually had to do the hard part of hanging around long enough to get us accepted."

"Don't leave Gryffindor Tower," advised Hermione.

Ash wrinkled her freckled nose. "Yeah, don' leave. The Slytherins are dangerous."

"Aren't you going to lecture her about missing exams?" said Harry.

"My perspective is a little different now," said Hermione. "I can't be so exam focused. There's a lot I can't do now."

Later it was time for the twin foals to have a bath. Ash wanted to help with that too, and this time she could… she held a brush awkwardly in her mouth to help the mothers clean them in a basin the other Gryffindors had pinched from a bathroom.

"Big sis'll clean you, lil sis," Ash assured Jade as the tiny green creature in the tub bleated. "An' you, lil Dash," she added as she scrubbed behind the pegasus' wings.

"It's a lot of work, having foals," Elsie observed. "The cleaning is a bit yucky. They poop a lot for such tiny things."

"Yes, it's a full time commitment," said Hermione.

* * *

00O00

The day of the Third Task dawned. Hermione and Ash were going to bid Harry farewell in the stands. Elsie was already there, with her foals, Jade and Dash sitting on her lap.

"They could have raised the stands," said Elsie. "That way we'd sort of be able to see the maze. But we all know from the movie that the stands were not raised, so we could only see the hedge. Great. Another pointless task."

"Pointless and dangerous. Too dangerous for Harry to do without me," said Hermione firmly.

"It's against the rules for Harry to have help," said Elsie annoyingly.

"Being a mother changed my perspective," snapped Hermione. "I love Harry too much to let him go into danger. Never mind the idiot rules."

"Yeah, how c'n you say that, Elsie?" said Ash, scowling at her. Her spotty little face looked so funny when she did that.

"Angelina, you watch Ash," said Hermione. "I'm going to sneak into the maze under the Invisibility Cloak."

"Right. Come here, you," said Angelina, picking up Ash.

Hermione handed Angelina a bottle.

"What's this for?" said Angelina. She tasted a drop. "What milk is this?"

"That one is from my left breast," said Hermione, with a wry smile, "it's for Ash."

"I'll share!" squeaked Ash.

"Eurgh! Hermione… what happened to you being prissy?" Said Angelina.

"Prissy? I've done it with a horned stallion, given birth to his foal and got my hands dirty with all the work," said Hermione grimly. "I'm through with being prissy."

The Champions had to line up to enter the maze. Harry and Cedric were tied on first place with 85 points. Krum, second with 80. Fleur was trailing far behind. The rules were that Harry and Cedric went in first, then Krum, then eventually, Fleur would follow them.

Harry and Cedric set off into the dark Maze. The only light came from their wands. Eventually, there was a crossroads and they went their separate ways.

"I'm here, Harry." Harry jumped at the sound of Hermione's voice.

Harry looked around wildly. "Where?"

"I'm under the Invisibility Cloak," she said patiently. "I'm with you, watching out for any sign of danger. Anything at all."

"There's nothing yet," said Harry. "The Third Task is too dull for a Gryffindor."

"Well be careful what you wish for," said Hermione grimly. "Personally, I hope it stays that way."

"Mummy, Mummy, what ya doin'? Where are ya?" It was Ash's voice somewhere around their ankles. Harry looked down, and sure enough, he saw the little spotted foal beaming up at him. "'Lo, Harry."

"Ash!" screamed Hermione. "What are you doing?" She pulled off the cloak. Her face looked pale in the Moonlight.

"I 'scaped," said Ash proudly.

Hermione glared at her foal. "How dare you disobey me? You're not supposed to be here…"

Ash stuck out her little pink tongue. "'Scuse me, I love Harry too. You love him more than anything, even if you think you can't tell 'im. Well I'm like my Mummy. I'm not lettin' Harry wander off when it's dangerous."

"What? What's that, Hermione? What are you talking about, Ash?" said Harry.

Hermione sighed and stuck out her bottom lip. "I – I think what this means is… if any part of Ash were anything like me, she loves you more than anything. And actually, Ash is a lot like her Mummy. Stands to reason she is. So her love is huge and she's crazy about you. It's obvious to anyone who has followed the threads of our lives that our bond is special – it's all showing and no telling, whereas my supposed love interest with Ron was all telling and no showing and would require authorial fiat to eventually shove us together."

"I love you most, but didn't stop to think…" said Harry. But now he came to think of it, wasn't it obvious that Hermione loved him most and that the Hermione and Ron pairing is all telling and no showing?

"I couldn't stand life here without you," he said slowly. "I did say, that I'd rather be at Hogwarts with you and have to face a dragon, than elsewhere, away from you with no dragon."

"Yayyyy!" Ash cheered in her little, whinnying voice and catered around them.

Hermione kissed Harry on the cheek. "When we get out of here, we will be free to express our feelings like we should have done to begin with." She knelt down and scooped Ash up in her arms. "Right. Come on, you little rascal. You won't leave Harry to face danger alone, no matter what I tell you."

The path broadened out into a clearing that at first glance, seemed to be lit up with strange, green lights.

"Balloons?" squeaked Ash.

She was right. Harry saw bulbous green balloons with weird moon faces leering at them from all directions.

There was a chorus of eerie voices. "You'll never escape. Only we can see the way out. The green moon faces can light the way and eclipse it, too."

Harry and Hermione fired at the balloons. They burst quite easily with the stupefy jinx. Balloons popped all around them, as Ash whinnied and clung to Hermione's shoulder, her horsy ears flattened against her skull and her brown eyes wide. Hermione looked pale, but determined. Soon, the last of the balloons floated away. But they were right. There seemed to be no way out.

Their voices faded away. "You can't escape… you can only get out if you have a Moon face…"

"What does that mean?" said Harry.

"Is it a riddle?" asked Ash.

"I think it is, though you can think of better ones, darling," said Hermione. She put Ash on the ground and picked up a burst green face. The material now looked roughly like a mask, the eyeholes and mouth gaping. "We can't get out unless someone has a moon face…" She pulled the green mask over her face and there was a pinging sound, like an elastic band. The green now clung to Hermione's face, a tight and seamless mask. Hermione now had a bright green, smooth and shiny face, with no eyebrows. Even her lips were covered, so her mouth looked like a slit.

"What's happened to ya, Mummy?" said Ash, looking at her mother's green face uncertainly.

Hermione smiled. Her green face looked really weird. "Nothing to worry about, sweetie. I can see the way forward, now." Hermione led them towards the hedge, but it turned out that a piece of the hedge was an illusion and they could walk through it.

They heard voices up ahead. "What are you doing? What the Hell do you think you're doing?"

It was Cedric Diggory's voice.

Then they heard Krum's voice. "Crucio!"

Hermione screamed and she and Harry ran flat out, Hermione still clutching Ash.

Harry got to Krum and Diggory first. At the sight of Harry, Krum ran off, but Harry brought him down with a quick stupefy.

Hermione caught up. "I can't believe this. I actually cannot believe it at all. I can't believe I dated him… I never dreamed." Her green face couldn't go pale anymore, but she was trembling.

"I actually did not expect that from Krum, either," said Harry.

"Nor did I," said Cedric who was lying on the ground.

Little Ash cantered over to Cedric and nuzzled his cheek. "You OK?"

Hermione helped Cedric sit up. Her brown eyes were wide and shocked. The whites of her eyes contrasted starkly with her green face.

"So, it's like a fancy dress party of Gryffindors here?" said Cedric, noticing Hermione's green face.

"Yes, it is," said Hermione, not really interested in that comment. "Can you continue?"

"I think so…" Cedric stood up.

"We'd better send up red sparks for Viktor then," said Hermione, contorting her green face into a grimace.

She lifted up her wand and red sparks issued forth into the sky. Then the four of them went off along the path. They came to another crossroad. "Well… be seeing you. All three of you," said Cedric.

"Just don't get hurt or do anything stupid," said Hermione glaring at him. "I've already got my hands full with Harry and Ash."

"For what it's worth, you're a great mother figure," said Cedric.

Hermione nodded. "You're sweet, and if you weren't competing against Harry, I'd really want you to win the Tournament."

Cedric went down one path. Hermione took Harry's hand and led him down the other.

Suddenly, they heard a shrieking. A dark shape swooped down. It was a woman with bright green skin, but her body was also covered in green feathers, up to her bare chest. A harpy! She opened her mouth wide to reveal her fangs and then launched herself at them, screaming: "The famous Harry Potter? I fancy myself a piece of that. I'll carry him off!"


	8. Chapter 8

**The Triwizard Cup  
**

"No!" screamed Hermione. She shot a jet of red light at the harpy. The bird woman's eyes widened as it struck her and she fell down on the ground.

"You want him all to yourself?" screeched the harpy. Her face was shiny and green, like Hermione's.

Hermione conjured a rope that tied her wings together. "Just shut up." She conjured a gag as well and wrapped that round the Harpy's gaping mouth. The harpy had green, human arms, but her feet ended in bird claws.

"Hermione…" Harry tugged her sleeve.

Two Blast Ended Skrewts were scuttling into view. More products of Hagrid's unnatural breeding, but unlike Ash, the result was not pretty. They blasted towards them from both directions, propelling themselves with a bang from their blasting ends. Hermione put Ash down and stepped in front of her. She flung herself onto the grass and yelled a stream of words Harry didn't catch. Her spell hit the Skrewt on its shell-less underside and it froze in position. Hermione then jumped to stand next to Harry. "Aim for its belly, Harry," she said, panting.

They both aimed at the Skrewts soft underbelly and yelled "Stupefy!" That Skrewt stopped moving as well.

"Whew. That was pretty close," said Harry.

Ash stared at the gagged Harpy who glared back. "What did she mean, she wants Harry?"

"You don't want to know and I shan't tell you," said Hermione, scowling. She beckoned. "Come. Both of you." They went down the path, when suddenly there was a terrible commotion. An awful booking, clucking sound. Hermione stiffened. "Harry. Take Ash and run. Close your eyes. Don't look back. It's a cockatrice."

Harry picked up Ash, and ran, but to his amazement, Hermione ran back to the bound Harpy. The next moment, there was a shrieking overhead. The harpy was clutching Hermione in her green arms. "Hold still!" screamed the harpy, and grabbed Harry's shoulders in her talons, carrying him high above the hedges, eventually settling down near the centre of the maze.

"Nice of you to save us all," said Hermione, gasping for breath.

"You came back for me even with the cockatrice on the rampage," said the harpy. "Why?"

"So help me, I couldn't let you die," said Hermione. "I've no gripe with part humans. They're just the same as us. My own daughter is one, after all."

The harpy wrinkled her shiny green nose. "Hmm. So… you are like my Mum. But you're really green in the cheeks… like me."

"Who are you?" said Harry.

"Oh. I'm Sukie," said the harpy, turning her green head to him. "My mum helped in one of Hagrid's pervy experiments. I'm the result. My mother did it with an occulatrice. In case you didn't know, that's like a cockatrice, but green and without the deadly stare. And I'm me. A monster. No, I can't get a boyfriend before you ask." She stared at Harry with piercing dark eyes. Her lips were a darker green, almost black. "It's nice of you not to laugh at this." Her voice was jarringly loud and penetrating.

"You're not a monster," said Ash pouting. "You did 'elp us. I wanna help too."

"I can help you with your game," said Sukie. "I think the lame-o cup is near here."

"Lame-o? It's the Tri-Wizard Cup?" said Harry.

"Yeah, s'important," said Ash.

Sukie clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes. "Anyway, follow me." She beckoned to them with a long green finger. Her nails were like bird claws.

She led them into a vast clearing. There, gleaming on a raised plinth, was the Triwizard Cup. But that wasn't all. Cedric emerged into the clearing from the far said and a huge spider from the forest came scuttling in from yet another path. Ash gave a little whinnying cry at the sight of it. The spider ran for Cedric.

"I'll handle this," said Sukie. She flew into the air, chucking bolts of green energy at the spider, knocking it flying. She alighted before a startled Cedric. "I saved your life. How about thanking me, hot stuff? If you don't know how, I can think of something."

"Um. I need to get to the cup." Cedric tried to sidestep her, but she caught him by the arm.

"Uh uh uh… I think my friends have got this. You did really well though, I'm sure."

Harry, Ash still in his arms, stood around the cup with Hermione and Sukie. The cup seemed to give off a faint glow, that lit up the green faces of both girls and shone off their green noses and cheeks.

Sukie narrowed her piercing eyes. "Hmmm… there's something wrong about this. Maybe you need magic to see it. The cup is a portkey. But where does it lead. I wonder…"

"A portkey?" said Hermione. "That's odd. Well Harry's not touching it alone. There's been something strange about this Tournament from the get-go."

Sukie was suddenly brisk. "OK. Hermione, take my hand. Harry, take her hand. I'll take the cup. If it's a portkey and we go someplace dangerous, I can bail you out again."

They held hands, Harry still clutching Ash, and Sukie grabbed the cup. Immediately, Harry felt a jerk, as though there was a hook behind his navel, and he was whirling through a sea of colour and sound, surrounded by the weirdest girls, but not Cedric…


	9. Chapter 9

**Showdown with Voldemort**

They found themselves in a graveyard. The moonlight shone down, as bright as day. There were crumbling graves all around them.

Harry kept hold of Ash. She turned her little spotted face up to stare at him wide eyed. "Whats this place, Harry?"

"I don't know. It might be part of the Task. But I doubt it."

Hermione screamed. "It's Wormtail. Sukie, get him!"

Then Harry felt a terrible pain in his scar and collapsed to his knees. He heard a reedy voice: "kill that menagerie of spares, Wormtail, and be swift."

There was a hooded figure emerging from between the graves, but Harry couldn't make him out. His head hurt too much.

Hermione yelled jinxes and the hooded figure deflected them with his wand. But then Sukie swooped down and grabbed the wand from him, snapping it in two.

Hermione yelled another incantation and the hooded figure went rigid and fell to the ground. It was probably the full body-bind. Hermione was always good at that.

The pain in Harry's scar lessened. Harry could feel Ash nuzzling his forehead. "'S OK, Harry."

Sukie's voice: "Take care! There's something really bad here. It's in that bundle of rags."

Hermione gave a cry. She must have seen whatever it was in the bundle. Then with a chill, Harry recognised the voice that had haunted his nightmares for three years. The voice of Voldemort. "Mudblood. Mutant harridan. Lord Voldemort will get you both yet."

"I'll deal with this," said Sukie. Harry saw her slash with her talons and then a mist arose to form the outline of that terrible face, white as a skull with glaring red eyes. Voldemort's ethereal form.

"You cannot kill what does not live. Lord Voldemort will return."

Then, like a nightmare at dawn, Voldemort vanished.

"Is that it then? Is he dead? Seriously? Everyone was scared of that wizard?" Sukie sounded very uncertain.

"I don't think he was alive, Sukie," said Hermione. "So he cannot be killed. But his return can be delayed. And if he is delayed again and again… well then. Perhaps he will never return."

Harry put an arm around Ash as the pain in his scar diminished. Hermione knelt down and shoved her green face close to his. He was struck by just how shiny and synthetic she looked now. But he could see her brown eyes were anxious, even though the green mask was stuck on her face and making her expression hard to read.

"Is your scar hurting, Harry?"

"It's getting better. Sorry I couldn't fight with you."

"I'm not. I'm glad that I could defend you and Ash. I want it to always be this way. Harry, I'm not the girl I was."

She sighed and sat down on the grass. The moonlight shone off her green nose and cheeks. "I'm not the girl I was. And now I realise what's important."

Suddenly, Sukie shrieked. "Oh no you don't!"

Wormtail had been stirring. He had somehow undone the bodybind curse. But now Sukie tore bloody rents in him. "There. That should weaken your magic for the time being."

"Good thinking, Sukie," said Hermione, giving a gasp of relief. "We must turn Wormtail in. We can clear the name of Harry's godfather that way."

"That a fact?" said Sukie. "Well, that's something good isn't it?"

Ash nuzzled Hermione's arm. "What were ya gonna ask Harry, Mummy?"

Hermione leaned her face close to Harry. "Marry me." She whispered.

Harry was startled. It should have been obvious, but now she was so up front…

"Yeah. Marry Mummy," said Ash, skipping around the two of them.

At that moment, realising how much he owed her and how his life was empty without her, Harry knew he could not refuse.

"I – yes, I do," he said weakly.

Hermione's green face split into a grin. "Ash. You're going to have a Daddy now."

"Yayyy!" whinnied Ash, jumping onto Harry's lap.

Sukie came over at that point, dragging a bloody Wormtail. Sort of killed the romantic moment, didn't it?

"If the Cup is a Portkey, it should take us back. Question is, what's going on?"

"Wormtail had help at Hogwarts," said Hermione grimly.

"It must have been Karkaroff. He turned the cup into a Portkey," said Harry. "It was so it would take me to Voldemort. How weird. Why didn't I see it before?"

Ash's ears flattened at the sound of the name. Her mother was brave enough not to flinch at it, but Ash was after all, only a foal. "Sorry Ash," said Harry.

"You're saying there's Death Eaters at Hogwarts?" said Sukie. "Why only one? There might be a dozen. Or more."

Hermione grimaced. "I'm afraid it's not impossible. We will have to be very wary indeed when we get back. But Harry… I want us to get married right away. That can't wait."

 _ **Author's Note:** Will they get married?_


	10. Chapter 10

**Talking of Love  
**

Harry and Hermione clasped hands. Harry gazed into her soft, brown eyes. The eyes she had given to Ash. They leaned close. Hermione's face moved beneath the layer of green into a kissy face. Their lips pressed together. Harry had never kissed before, so he wasn't sure if he'd done it right, but Hermione leaned in and put her tongue in his mouth. Her scent was sweet and sharp. Her face sort of had the taste of rubber, but the tongue part wasn't unpleasant.

Harry felt his heart begin to quicken. He and Hermione wrapped their arms around one another, hugged tight and kissed again. Her bushy hair got in Harry's eyes.

Sukie's strident voice rattled Harry's ear drums. "Love birds, sorry to be a killjoy, but we've got to get the Death Eater back to Hogwarts."

"They're gettin' married," whinnied Ash. Harry gathered her up in his arms.

"The Portkey should take us back. Hold hands," said Hermione. She took Harry's right hand. Harry took Sukie's cold, long nailed fingers in his other hand. Sukie dragged Wormtail with her free hand.

"Accio!" Hermione summoned the Cup and they were whirling through a maelstrom of colour and sound until they found themselves standing on the Quidditch pitch outside the maze.

There was a roar and commotion as they emerged. Cedric was standing nearby. His grey eyes widened. "Congratulations, Harry, but it doesn't look like you won on your own."

"You can have the prize money, if that's what matters to you," said Harry. "I've found what's really important."

He smiled at Hermione. The slit of her mouth in her rubbery green face formed a smile and her brown eyes seemed to shine.

Moody came stumping up to them. "Come along Harry. We're going somewhere private," he growled.

"What do you mean, professor?" said Hermione, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Yeah, you're definitely weirder than me," said Sukie smirking.

Dumbledore came up to them, his blue eyes flashing. "Stupefy!" Moody collapsed and then, to Harry's mild surprise, he began to morph into another, younger man, with no scars.

"There is our impostor," said Dumbledore. "The real Moody would never have suggested anything so shady."

"Look what we've brought you," said Sukie, shaking the bloodied Wormtail by the scruff.

"Ahh, another Death Eater. I thank you, kind Miss," said Dumbledore.

"If you really want to thank me, you'll help me find a boyfriend who is everything I'm crazy about," said Sukie tersely. Harry wondered if she really thought that finding a boyfriend would fix all her personal problems. He didn't want to see her hurt…

"I will be in touch, Miss," said Dumbledore, and he hauled the two Death Eaters away.

"Bother. I wanted to ask about getting married," said Hermione.

"Yeah, Mummy, how could ya forget?" piped Ash.

"Yeah, that's lame," said Sukie.

Harry dumped the Portkey and they trailed back to the Castle. They found their way barred by Professor McGonagall. "Professor Dumbledore is busy with the Death Eaters, so you will have to tell me everything," she said, eyeing them all like a wrathful eagle.

Ash giggled. "Luv ya!"

"Yes, well, be that as it may…" said McGonagall. "You all have a lot of explaining to do."

* * *

00O00

In McGonagall's office, they gave an account of the events from when they had been transported to the graveyard. It was complicated by the fact that Sukie kept making snide comments that were not relevant, and Ash asking McGonagall if she liked to read! Fortunately Ash kept quiet after that, munching on McGonagall's ginger newts.

"So, the evil one is vanquished again… for the time being at least," said McGonagall.

"It was Hermione's and Sukie's show all the way," said Harry. He wasn't trying to sound modest, he was just telling the truth.

"Very well. Miss Granger, five hundred points for Gryffindor. Ermm… Sukie… if you would like to enrol here, that could be your reward."

"Mm. Would I be in Gryffindor? The other houses are lame-o," said Sukie.

"Well you won't know that until you enrol," said McGonagall.

"Professor, I really wanted to ask… about Harry and I. We want to get married," said Hermione in a rush. Her shiny green cheeks were not capable of flushing pink anymore, but she was obviously self-conscious as she looked at the floor.

McGonagall raised her eyebrows. "Very well then. As you are Muggle born, you don't need permission from your parent or guardian. Harry can only get married this summer when he turns fifteen, and then he needs permission from a guardian. But Sirius' name should be cleared soon, so perhaps you can get married on Harry's fifteenth birthday this summer, but no earlier."

Hermione's green face was split in a wide grin.

* * *

00O00

"I hope I do get in Gryffindor," said Sukie as they walked down the corridor, Harry carrying Ash. "If I don't… I dunno, I might not bother. The other houses are all lame, especially Slytherin."

"Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw aren't too bad," said Hermione.

"Well I belong in the house of the brave," said Sukie.

"Yay. I wanna be a Gryffindor," whinnied Ash.

At that moment, Ron and Malfoy jumped into the corridor from two different rooms. They brandished their left forearms, which were branded with Dark Marks, now fading as Voldemort was vanquished.

"We're the latest Death Eater recruits," said Malfoy. "We were inducted only this week."

"Too late now. Voldemort's dead," said Harry.

"Argh! We'll get you for that," said Ron.

Hermione and Sukie stepped in front of Harry and Ash, Hermione pointing her wand and Sukie flexing her talons…


	11. Chapter 11

**Flight and Fight**

Sukie reached forward and batted Ron's wand away, then slapped at him with the back of her hand. "You're not fit to be the mean and snarky member of the trio. I'm that member now."

Hermione and Malfoy exchanged hexes.

"Crucio!" Yelled Malfoy, but Hermione knocked his wand to the ground with a counter curse. The Death Eaters both ran away.

"Not even worth wasting time on," said Sukie.

Hermione sighed. "I really thought Ron was a friend. So sad…"

"Don't be sad, Mummy," said Ash, nuzzling her cheek.

* * *

00O00

 **Wormtail captured – Sirius Black cleared!**

This was the headline of the Daily Prophet. The article went on to elaborate how Wormtail had been executed via the veil in the Department of Mysteries and how Sirius' name had been cleared.

Harry and Hermione cheered. Hermione's green face was bright with happiness. Ash neighed in approval and cantered around their feet.

Sukie came in at that point. "OK, it's happening. I'm in Gryffindor. And those interviews Dumbledore set up for me to find a boyfriend… I know I've found the right one. I knew it right away. Just looking at him… his name's Jason. First of all, he had everything I would give a boy if I could make one out of clay. Perfect face covered in vibrant freckles, the greenest green eyes, wavy auburn hair I can run my talons through, the most beautiful smile…"

"If that triple combo of auburn hair, green eyes and freckled face was what you're looking for, you just needed to look at pictures," said Harry.

Sukie flicked her long, dark green hair away from her face. "That's not all. I love him because I know that he needs a strong woman to take care of him. He's so sweet. He wanted me to put my wing round him, and it just felt so right. My life was pretty lame up 'til now, but the future is bright…" she grinned, showing her fangs. "We both want to make a nest. I just want to keep hugging him and then we kissed…"

She closed her eyes in ecstasy.

"Well I really hope it works out," said Hermione. Harry did too. Their friend the harpy was a weird girl. How could she already be so sure she'd found her dream boyfriend?

* * *

00O00

With his name cleared, Sirius came to sign the marriage permission form in McGonagall's office.

"Let me congratulate you on your acquittal, Sirius," McGonagall told him.

"We get up to really strange and dangerous adventures when we're together," Hermione told Sirius, knowing what made Sirius tick. The sunlight streaming in through the window shone off her green nose and cheeks.

"Hermione defeated Voldemort and great personal risk," added Harry. "That's what makes it fun for her."

"That's the sort of wife worthy of James – I mean Harry," said Sirius. He signed the form and Hermione took it.

"Harry has saved himself all for me," Hermione told him. "Although I've had experiences. I've even done it with a unicorn and pushed Ash here out of my birth canal." She beamed fondly at her little spotted foal who nuzzled Sirius' leg and smiled up at him.

"I only had a crush on Cho Chang, which was well written in terms of awkwardness, but didn't convey that I was attracted to her," said Harry. "In fact, the one flattering thought I had about her appearance was that her hair looked pretty with a blue ribbon. A straight lady could have noticed that about Cho, even one who doesn't like writing her own gender and puts a lot more effort into such minor characters as Mr Crouch and Mr Diggory than she does their wives."

"Harry's first actual experience will be with me," said Hermione. "I'll make it special."

* * *

00O00

Ron disappeared from Hogwarts. Harry wondered if he had sought sanctuary with Voldemort yet. Voldemort could not return with the aid of Barty Crouch and Wormtail – one in Azkaban and one dead. But with a new devoted servant, who knew how long it would be before he rose again?

To take his mind off things, Harry liked to go flying high above the Quidditch Pitch, even when it was not Quidditch practice. He flew higher and higher, until Hogwarts grounds was as small as a postage stamp and the clouds formed a mist around him. He emerged from the other side. Sukie was lounging on a cloud, watching him. "Hey, Harry. You fly well. Taking into consideration you've got no wings." She crinkled her shiny green nose at him.

"Too bad Hermione can hardly fly," said Harry. "It's the one thing she can't do."

"Jason can't either. He's clumsy even on the ground. I love that about him," said Sukie, a misty look in her eyes.

Back on the ground they met up with Hermione and Jason. Sukie took Jason in her arms and kissed his face with such fervour it looked as though she was trying to suck him, then they rubbed noses together, his freckled face pressed against her green one. Harry supposed they really were in love. So was he. He was less demonstrative, but he had been in love since First Year. He took Hermione's hand.

Sukie grinned. "Can't believe I fancied Cedric – he's a great looking guy, but he's such a vague insubstantial character. And no offence, I can't believe I fancied you either, Harry. You're so tough and sardonic and insular. Life gave me Jason."

Jason grinned shyly at them, his freckled cheeks blushing pinkly. "Y – You fly well," he told Harry.

"The only way I'd ever lose a Quidditch match is if I were unconscious," said Harry.

"I couldn't fly, but now I can. In Sukie's arms," said Jason.

Sukie planted a kiss on the top of his head.

She and Harry decided to race. Harry had the international standard Firebolt, but she didn't need a broom. They raced around the Quidditch pitch, while the green and freckled faces of Hermione and Jason and Ash looked up.

Suddenly there was a booing and hissing from the opposite stands. A knot of Slytherins had assembled to jeer at them.

"Potter! Monster!"

"The Slytherins are always the baddies in the books," said Harry grimly. "They have nothing to do, but jeer at us. Although no doubt we'll hear in one of JKR's interviews that some Slytherins protested against the ones jeering and quickly went to find some other Slytherins to organise a counter demonstration. Like how they all fought for Voldemort in Deathly Hallows, but Rowling said in an interview that several returned to fight for Hogwarts. But her interview was utterly unsupported by the text."

"I don't know what any of that meant, but I'm going to deal with it now," said Sukie grimly, and she swooped down, her taloned hands glowing with a green light, ready to fire down bolts of magic.


	12. Chapter 12

**Trolls and Tribulations**

"Don't blast the Slytherins!" urged Harry.

"I'm not going to, only scare them," said Sukie. She sent a bolt at the stands near the Slytherins causing them to yell and stampede away.

Sukie and Harry alighted beside their loved ones. Sukie pulled Jason into a hug and they began snogging. Hermione pulled out her breast and began to suckle Ash. The foal's spotted cheeks bulged.

Dean Thomas came up to ogle Hermione's bulging breast. "I don't look at the shiny green face, I look at the boobs," he said, pointing at Hermione.

"I wish I could return the compliment, but when you've had a horse sized thing in you, no guy is going to seem well endowed," said Hermione. "Viktor didn't."

"I am," said Dean indignantly.

"Well can you prove it?" said Hermione.

Back in the Gryffindor common room, Elsie was washing her foals in a brass tub. "This is doing my head in," she grumbled. "I want to get a decent night's sleep."

"Well this is the rest of your life now," said Hermione sharply. "Being a mother is for life."

Ash played her favourite game with Dash and Jade, Elsie's foals. "Where's Ash?" she whinnied, hiding behind a squashy armchair. She jumped out. "There's Ash!" The tiny foals gave tiny little giggles.

Hermione and Dean went over to a table and pored over a piece of parchment. Dean scribbled on it with a quill.

"Wanna crash at my place?" said Sukie.

To get to Sukie's cave high in the mountains, Harry had to take Hermione on his Firebolt – Ash was strapped to her. Ash put up with the flying well, although she did squeak and whinny a bit. Jason was strapped to Sukie with a harness.

They alighted on a stone mountain ledge. Sukie gripped Jason's shoulders. Jason's ruddy hair was windswept. "Ooh look, your cheeks… so pink!" His cheeks had been stung pink by the wind. The wind never seemed to bother Harry, no matter how high he flew, not even when flying at the Firebolt's top speed of 150 miles per hour. Jason just wasn't a natural at flying.

Sukie kissed the tip of Jason's freckled nose. Hermione dismounted and unstrapped Ash who trotted after them as they traipsed down the tunnel.

Sukie's nest in the cave was a weird hybrid – part nest, part hut made of twigs and clay. A great moonstone hung near the ceiling and bathed everything with a silvery light, shining off the green faces of both girls.

Ash seemed to like it here. She went skipping around the cavern, whinnying.

"Jason can't see in the dark, so I had to get the moon lamp," said Sukie, gazing on Jason with misty eyes. "Isn't that right, darling?"

Jason smiled and kissed her green cheek.

Hermione showed Harry the parchment that Dean had signed. "I have found a way to get us more allies in a world where we need them. Especially if Ron succeeds in bringing Voldemort back."

Jason and Sukie were busy cuddling and snogging, but Ash heard the name and whimpered, covering on the floor and flattening her ears, trying to cover her eyes with her blunt forelegs. Harry patted her on the head.

"I know you've never been attracted to another girl, Harry," Hermione continued.

"I only love you," said Harry. "The one I love most is a girl. You are my true love. The one I can't do without."

Hermione's rubbery green face stretched to form a smile. "Yes, of course. And you've had my heart since you rescued me from the troll Ron locked me in the toilet with. My heart has always ached for you, struggling under more burdens than any other student. I would lay down my life for you, even though Ash needs me. But I also know you, dear Harry. You love me for who I am, not for my boobs. The question remains, what about sex? Dean is attracted to me, but it's purely physical. I got him to sign a contract which means he will be a sexual partner of mine, but it means he must obey me in emergency situations. Poor Dean was thinking with his lust, not his head. So, I have a hold over him. Really, it's for the best. He can't prove he's no muggle-born, so he needs my guidance if Voldemort ever does return."

Harry wondered what to think of all this. If Hermione could get a hold on randy blokes, then she could control them and it would give them a support network. If it was just physical liaisons with no love… well she had had those before and it hadn't made him jealous.

Harry cupped her green face in his hands. "When we became friends… that's the memory that I used to make the first real Patronus I conjured last summer. Remember that? Well the thought I concentrated on was when we became friends."

Hermione grinned and kissed him on the lips.

"Was' tha' mean?" whinnied Ash suddenly.

She was staring up at the wall of the cave. A rude message had been painted there. It said: **** HARMONY SHIPPERS!

"It's a troll," said Hermione sounding worried. A mountain troll must have found this cave.

"There's another troll message," said Harry. "'It says: **** Bronies.' What does that even mean?"

Hermione shook her head. "Trolls are deeply pathetic really."

At that moment there was a dragging sound coming down the tunnel. Jason and Sukie broke apart and she leapt in front of him, stretching out her wings protectively to their fullest extent.

A foul smelling troll lumbered into the cave, dragging a stone club…


	13. Chapter 13

**The Wedding and The Warning**

"Just like old times, Hermione," said Harry.

She smiled and nodded, the light from the moon lamp shining off her green nose and cheeks.

Harry disarmed the troll and Hermione sent the club flying into the air and brought it down upon his head.

"Oh, great job," said Sukie clapping. She put an arm around Jason's shoulder. "But if trolls can get in here and paint rude messages, then we're going to have to find another site. Come on Jason."

* * *

00O00

Harry and Hermione got married that Summer in the Black's Caribbean resort where Sirius had hidden the previous Summer. It was a great spot for it, the sun blazing down on the white sand and azure sea.

A number of their schoolfriends attended, including Dean and Seamus. Harry noticed that Hermione got Seamus to sign one of those binding contracts as well. She had drawn up their marriage vows. She had drawn a loophole in one of hers. Harry supposed it was so she could have other sexual partners, even though she was giving her whole heart to him. Still, she was the only girl for him.

Hermione looked great in a white dress, her green face an even more amazing contrast as she grinned at him with pearly teeth. Ash cantered after them up the aisle and maintained a respectful silence through the ceremony. Hermione chucked a bunch of flowers away and Sukie swooped down like lightening and caught them. She grinned down at Jason and winked.

They made love on the beach that evening. Harry fell asleep afterwards (this was his first time, so don't be too hard on him) and awoke to gaze into Hermione's soft, brown eyes. She was gazing at him tenderly. Then they went swimming together. The sea was tepid. Hermione's naked body was very pale in the moonlight – a contrast then to her bright green face. Her boobs were really swollen and leaked milk into the sea. When they got back to the shore, Ash woke up – she had been curled asleep in the sand. She nuzzled Harry's hand. "Daddy," she whinnied.

After Hermione had breast fed her foal, she and Harry made love again. Harry could hardly believe it. She was his wife at last.

Then he nodded off again as Hermione kissed him softly on the cheek.

But his dreams were not pleasant. He could see a scene of an underground cavern. It seemed very far away and yet hard and clear. There was a suit of steel armour with weird lenses in the helmet for eyes. Ron was there!

"It is ready, my Lord, just like I said. I knew exactly where the armour could be stolen. Will this really do for a temporary body while you regain power?"

A mist, white as bone, gathered around the armour. There was a flash of red – scarlet eyes appeared in the mist. Then the mist seeped into the armour and the eye piece glowed red.

A voice emanated from the armour. It was the voice of Voldemort!

"It will. This vessel can channel magic and it is virtually unassailable. The blood, flesh and bone potion would have worked too, although it can result in having a deformed body. You have done well, Weasel King," said Voldemort. "Just as I knew you would. And I see you have brought a sacrifice to prove yourself."

Harry gasped to see a pale, freckly, red headed girl lying asleep or unconscious on the cavern floor.

"She has the Horcrux in her as you suspected," said Ron. "When Harry ruined the diary obviously it still had a psychic link to her so could jump back into her subconscious and sleep there until now."

"She is too valuable to me to risk. She will have to be locked up somewhere," said Voldemort. "But you have proven competent and faithful where Lucius was not. Wormtail was right to recruit you."

"No one knew me better than Wormtail. We shared a bed for long enough," said Ron. Harry gagged.

Voldemort's sinister voice echoed around the cavern. "Now Lord Voldemort is ready to return!"

Harry snapped awake and sat up with a gasp.

"Harry, dear… are you alright?" Hermione sounded anxious.

"No, I'm not alright. We've got to see Dumbledore. I saw something. Voldemort is back. He's found another way to get a body."

* * *

00O00

They told Dumbledore the next morning. "I fear that Voldemort has indeed returned," said the old Machiavelli solemnly. "But what the Minister's attitude will be remains to be seen."

Unfortunately, it transpired that the Minister refused to accept that Voldemort had returned. The consequences of this are another story…

THE END


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